Danae and Polydektes Group 2
Write the first paragraph of your page here. Literary Citations 1. Early Greek Myth ''pp.303 - 3F4 Author: Pherekydes of Syros Original Text: Unavailable English Text: Unavailable Context: Polydektes, brother of Diktys and the kind of Seriphos falls in love with Perseus' mother, Danae. However he cannot seem to find a way to win Danae because of Perseus, who is now a fully grown man. In order to work around this, Polydektes invite Perseus to a feast in which he tricks Pereus into accepting the challenge of killing and retrieving Medusa's head. The first reference Gantz makes is that Polydektes is Diktys' half-brother. 2. ''Early Greek Myth ''pp.303 - 3F11 Author: Pherekydes of Syros Original Text: Unavailable English Text: Unavailable Context: Polydektes, brother of Diktys and the kind of Seriphos falls in love with Perseus' mother, Danae. However he cannot seem to find a way to win Danae because of Perseus, who is now a fully grown man. In order to work around this, Polydektes invite Perseus to a feast in which he tricks Pereus into accepting the challenge of killing and retrieving Medusa's head. The second reference Gantz makes is that Polydektes is the king of Seriphos - the kingdom that took in Perseus and Danae. 3. ''Early Greek Myth ''pp.303 - ApB 2.4.2 From: Apollodorus, ''Bibliotheke (Library) ''Book 2, Chapter 4, Section 2 Greek Text: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+2.4.2&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0021 English Text: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+2.4.2&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022 Summary: The king of Seriphus, Polydektus, has fallen in love with Danae, the mother of Perseus, but cannot marry her because Perseus is now a grown man. So, Polydektus calls together his friends and allies and, tells them that he is gathering wedding gifts to offer to Hippodamia. Polydektus asks his friends to furnish horses for him, but orders Perseus to retrieve the head of the Gorgon as a gift. So Perseus, with the leadership and guidance of Hermes and Athena, goes to visit the daughters of Phorcus: Enyo, Pephredo, and Dino. The three women had one eye and one tooth that they shared amongst each other. Perseus got ahold of both of these, and would only return it if the sisters revealed to him the way to the nymphs. The nymphs were in possession of winged sandals, the hat of Hades, and a wallet known as ''kibisis. ''The sisters told him how to find them, and he went to the nymphs and obtained the items. These items were to aid him in his upcoming battle, and he also became invisible. Next he departed to the place where the Gorgons were sleeping so that he could steal the head of the only mortal Gorgon, Medusa, who had a very grotesque appearence and the ability to turn anyone who gazed at her into stone. Using his shield, and the guidance of Athena, Perseus looked at the reflection of Medusa as she slept and beheaded her with the adamantine sickle that Hermes gave him. When she died, two children were born out of her body: Peagasus and Chrysaor, who were both sons of Poseidon. 4.Endnote 10 pp. 303 Original Text: N/A English Text: N/A Summary: This Endote describes how there is uncertainty over who Polydektes intended to give the gifts from the Eranos feast. Some sources claim the gifts were a courting attempt towards Hippodameia while others say that the gifts were meant for someone else. 5. ''Early Greak Myth ''pp. 304 Author: Aischylos Greek Text: Unavailable at this time English Text: Unavailable at this time Summary: Aischylos may have dramatized the events of the first play in the Perseus trilogy. The plot of this play is different from the average Aischylean drama, as is the plot of the second and third additions of the trilogy. 6. ''Early Greak Myth ''pp. 304 Author: Euripides, ''Diktys Greek Text: Unavailable at this time English Text: Unavailable at this time Summary: in his play, Euripides uses the threat that Polydektes attemps to abduct Danea as she attempts to take refuge at an altar. This is also a possible explanation of why Perseus needed the Gorgon head. 7. Early Greek Myth ''pp. 303-304 - ''Py 12. 14-15 From: Pindar, Pythian Chapter 12, Lines 14-15 Greek Text: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0161%3Abook%3DP.%3Apoem%3D12 English Text: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0162%3Abook%3DP.%3Apoem%3D12 Summary: Perseus has slain the Gorgon Medusa and prepared to bring death upon the people of Seriphus. He brought the head of the Gorgon Medusa back to King Polydektus as his desired wedding present, and killed Polydektus with it. This was for the slavery and forced marriage of his mother, Danae. 8. Early Greek Myth ''pp. 304 - ''AP ''3.11 From: Epigram of the Cyzicene Temple Orliginal Text: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=urn:cts:greekLit:tlg7000.tlg001.perseus-grc3:9.11 English Translation: None Available Summary: In this account, it is stated that Polydektes had married Danae, the mother of Perseus. This is detailed in one of the epigrams on one of Cyzicene temples. This is in agreement to the earlier account by Pindar which details a similar situation where Polydektes forced marriage onto Danae. ''9. Early Greek Myth ''p304 - ''Fab 63 Gaius Julius Hyginus, Fabulae Story 63 Original Text (Latin): http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/hyginus/hyginus5.shtml#danae English Translation: http://www.theoi.com/Text/HyginusFabulae2.html#63 Summary: Acrisius, learning from a prophecy that her child would kill him, locks his daughter Danae away from the outside world. Zeus however still visited her, taking the form of a shower of golden rain and impregnated her with Perceus. As punishment, Acrisius locked them both, mother and son, in a chest and sent them to sea to die. Instead the chest washed ashore and was found by Dictys, a fisherman. He took them to King Polydectes who decided to marry Danae. Acrisius discovered that Danae and Perseus was still alive and came to take them away but was denied by Polydectes. Perseus then promises that he would never kill his grandfather. Polydetces died shortly after and, during a game in honor of him, the wind carried a disc thrown by Perceus and struck it against the head of Acrisius, killing him. Despite not wanting or meaning to, Perseus is the cause of his grandfather's death as prophesied leaving Perseus to take over his grandfather's kingdom Section heading Write the second section of your page here.